What to Eat for Lunch When You’re Training for a Marathon

Let’s do lunch. With the Vermont City Marathon just around the corner, it is a perfect time to schedule a lunch date…with yourself. Lots of runners I work with often skip lunch in lieu of sneaking in a quick mid-day run. If that is you, now is not the time to continue such habits. In these last days leading up to race day it is important to really nail down the nutritional portion of your training. Here are some possible scenarios to ensure race day success.

Fuel up your breakfast. If you really must use your lunch hour for a training run, make sure you fuel up at breakfast time. Take the time to sit down to a meal that is ¾ slow burning carbs and ¼ protein. Limit your fat intake if you plan to run at lunch time. A few of my favorites are toast with egg whites and a piece of fruit or yogurt with granola and berries. Snack throughout the morning; mostly on carbs. Keep eating until the hour before your lunch time run. One snack per hour would be the goal. A banana, a granola bar, or half of a bagel are some ideas. If you are planning to push hard on your lunch time run, sip on a sports drink in the hour before your lunch run. Plan to eat a meal within the hour of finishing your run. Focus again on ¾ complex carbs and ¼ protein to refill those glycogen stores and repair those muscles.

Amp up your lunch. Not running at lunch? Then it becomes one of those important training meals. Undereating and poor hydration will not only affect a run later in the day, but tomorrow’s run, and race day as well. You need to train your muscles to correctly process and store fuel. Think of lunch as the power meal that is integral to your performance. I love lunch meals that keep it simple by combining complex carbohydrates, protein, and a healthy fat all into one meal. Aim for about 600-800 calories. Here are some of my favorite combinations:

Put wild rice in a small pot with about 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook rice until tender and the grains split in the middle, about 30 minutes. You may have to add water periodically; it is best to have to rice covered with water at all times for even cooking. Drain rice in a strainer to remove any extra water and transfer to a mixing bowl. In another bowl, combine the lemon juice, Dijon, vinegar and oil. Whisk together and then pour over the rice, you may not need all the dressing, depending on your taste. Add cherries and walnuts, season with salt and pepper and toss together. Top with fresh parley to serve.

Recipe courtesy of Healthy Living Market.

Keep reading this blog: Next week, I’ll share nutritional advice for the perfect pre-race dinner: the power of nutrition meets the pleasure of eating. Happy running.

The University of Vermont Medical Center serves all of Vermont and the northern New York region. Located in Burlington, The UVM Medical Center is a regional, academic healthcare center and teaching hospital in alliance with the University of Vermont